Love Loss
by Joy1
Summary: Last chapter- Logan jumps... Max and Logan research a mythic love from the past...life can repeat itself if you aren't careful.
1. Love Loss

Title: Eyes Only Love Loss

Title: Love Loss

Name: Joy 

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: PG-13

A/N: Thanks to Jack and Rachel. Your help is always appreciated.

"You beeped, Sire!" Max said as she entered Logan's penthouse in a slightly annoyed. Logan was on a super efficient track these days that had left little time for play. She couldn't remember the last time he had just invited her over for company or chess.

Logan walked towards her with a glass of wine and a huge smile. "I have a real old-fashion mystery I would like your help with… that is if you're game. This is less save the world, more actual news paper story," he said and took a sip of wine. 

A somewhat flustered Max looked at him curiously. What's up with him? she thought. He looks almost seductive… "It depends, Logan. Is this a friend request or a business request?"

"A little of both. IF we get good info we can share the by line," he said with a smile. 

"That's really OK. I don't want my name showing up anywhere… no paper trail forthis girl, thank you… Tell me the basics and I'll see if I'm interested," she said calmly drifting toward the kitchen. 

"I'll tell you about it over dinner…"

************************************************************************

"So let me get this straight… You want to research this rich guy who's been dead for years who left his estate to a woman no one can find evidence ever even existed?" Max asked dumb-founded. 

"Basically!"

"Why?"

"Because it's a mystery! Lysander Moore was an in credible intellect that people regarded as a recluse most of his life. When he died he left everything he owned to a woman named Nimue Alexander, who, by all accounts, doesn't exist. In his will he professes deep regret over their love loss and his undying love… I guess some people learn too late to share their feelings…" A slightly uncomfortable Logan glimpsed at Max for a moment, then flipped through the information that rested in his hands.

"Interesting names…" Max commented.

"Excuse me?"

"Both literary names. Lysander being the egotistical love interest in A Midsummer's Night's Dream. He was destine to want what he couldn't have and in the end only magic could turn his heart to the woman he was supposed to be with."

"Actually that was Demetrius."

"Oh…Well…If he did create Nimue, he chose a good name. Nimue being Merlin's love in some Arthurian stories and the lady of the lake in others…but once again a tragic love," Max observed.

"So you think he made her up?"

"I don't know… She shares her with a fictional creature…not even human. If he was well learned and a recluse, who better to be a love then a myth," Max chuckled a moment, "His own personal Chimera."

Logan's eyes met hers in confusion and annoyance. He didn't understand why he felt that she was mocking him, but he felt it nonetheless. "Will you help me out or not?"

he finally said. 

"Fine… What's the plan?"

"It would involve a trip to North Carolina… You still game?"

"How the hell are we going to pull this off?" Max said exasperated.

"We will hide in plain sight as a vacationing couple intrigued by the Moore family history. They own a great deal of property in the center of the state. We would travel through the area…poking about until we find the low down on what happened."

"I can't believe you want to go to all this trouble to find out if this woman ever existed."

"I love a good mystery," he said with a smirk. "What'd ya say? I bet you will look amazing standing next to one of those huge magnolias at UNC."

"Flattery will get you no where. I have a job to worry about and a walk about with you will not go over well with Normal," she said while she flipped her hair out of her face. 

"I'll take care of it… You think you can pull off posing as…well…my wife?" Logan stumbled over the question.

"Why do I have to be your wife?" 

"Well, I figure anyone who knows what really happened will be more likely to tell a loving couple then a reporter and his assistant."

"Assistant…" Max muttered under her breath, turning from him. 'How do I get myself into these things? Why do I even care if he calls me his assistant?!' She turned quickly back to him and said, "I imagine I can pull off the attitude but no one is going to believe I'm your wife… I'm too young, so I'll be perceived as a gold digger. Also all of my clothes are…well, me and not you. No one will buy Logan Cale of the Washington Cales is married to a street kid."

'Whoa there… Max is acting weird and sort of hurt. Think before speaking…' "We won't be going as the Cales of Washington. We'll be traveling as the Logan and Max Taylor of Maryland. I'll be a literature professor and you can be whatever you want," he said trying to put her at ease. 

"OK… I'm going to obviously have to say this more plainly… I don't have the right clothing to make this excursion."

"If you don't mind, let me pay for your wardrobe. As for the age thing…you can pull off appearing older than you are. You've got that old soul thing working for you," he said with a smile. "Think of this a much needed vacation long over due."

"Fine…" she said with a great sigh. "Where in Maryland are we from? How long have we been married? How did we meet? And when are we planning on having children?" Max said in one breath.

Logan stared at her dumbly for a moment. "I don't know… We're from Chevy Chase. We've been married for a little over a year, maybe… How bout this we met debating over the origins of a Bast statue?"

"That is how we met!"

"Not exactly… As for kids, we're waiting another couple years… Sound like a good story?" he said very proud of himself.

"Yeah… I guess I need to work on being less sarcastic with you, huh?"

"Might be nice?"

"This is just an elaborate attempt to break me of my smart-ass attitude, isn't it!?" she said with great fervor.

"I like your smart-ass attitude…" Logan said with a sexy smile that made Max wonder what he was really thinking. 

What flitted through his head at that moment was an image of them arguing that ended up with them making out like teenagers. 

***********************************************************************

"I can't believe I let you talk me into shopping with me. I do not need an escort!" Max stated in great frustration.

"You need practice using your new identity, especially signing for things. I'm just here for a test run of us pretending to be a married couple."

"Seems like we're doing well, since we already fight like a married couple," she said as she turned toward some nice camisoles and skirts. Nothing really caught her eye for her taste so she tried to think what Logan's fictitious wife might wear. She sized him up a few times, then looked at the clothes again.

"Were you just checking me out?" Logan asked in confusion. 

"Yeah… none of this stuff is me so I'm trying to figure out what your wife would wear," the words slipped past her mouth with ease, while Logan looked like he was choking on them.

"Ah…Why don't we just go for dress casual?" he said changing the subject quickly. "Here… What do you think of this?" He handed her a light green dress with a bamboo pattern on it. It had a shine that would accent her skin very well. 

"I'll give it a try… Why don't you bring me things to try on and I'll decide what I like?" Max said heading for the dressing room. 

Logan wandered around selecting a variety of sundresses, camisoles, skirts, slacks, and shorts. By the end of his inquires Max began to feel more like a Barbie doll of the past then a person. She would try on what he brought her, she would model it for him and he would pass judgment on the item. Max had had enough when Logan arrived with a denim jumper and flower printed shirt. 

"Who the hell are we shopping for? That's nowhere near my taste… I'm not you're your dress-up doll, Logan! I'm your wife…" Her outburst surprised them both. This was the first time Max had actually referred to herself as Logan's wife during their charade. The frustration of not feeling herself and feeling used enveloped her. 

After a few deep breaths and audience's interest passing, Logan apologized. "Sorry Max. I was trying to help. I used to do this with… well it doesn't matter... I'm sorry I didn't think about your taste."

"It's alright Logan. At the beginning you were doing OK. I think I have enough outfits here that we both like to last a trip to North Carolina and back… I shouldn't have raised my voice…not a very wifely thing to do."

"It is more 'wifely' then you think… We had our first public fight. I think it went splendid," he said getting a laugh from Max as she handed him items she didn't want. "But I love the lavender on you…" Max shot Logan one look and he stopped dead in the middle of his sentence. 

"Did you find everything alright?" a salesgirl asked as the 'couple bought the clothes. 

"Fine, thank you," Logan responded pleasantly as Max offered her fake credit card and ID. She signed the bill without incident or nudging on Logan's part. He grabbed the bag and put his arm around Max's waist as they left the store.

"What are you doing?" Max whispered to him.

"Getting used to the part," he said without batting and eyelash. Max just chuckled a bit and shook her head at the ever present bachelor at her side.

************************************************************************ 

"Cindy! Ya home?" Max called.

"Yeah… Where you been?" Original Cindy asked as Max brought in the dress bag Logan had bought for her to store her clothing for the trip. "Or should I ask, where you're going?"

"North Carolina with Logan…and before you say anything… WE ARE NOT GOING TO BANG! Alright. Just a little investigative work, that's all."

"You're going to go to the other side of the country for this guy as a friend to help him investigate something?!? Whatever! Maybe a little time away will be good. Wake ya both up," Cindy replied. 

"We aren't like that… I'm just being a friend."

"Then please explain the engagement and wedding rings you're wearing!"

"You wouldn't understand," Max said trying to avoid the question.

Cindy however would not be diverted, "Try me!"

"We're posing as a married couple on this trip… I needed some jewelry to pull it off. They're Logan's mom's."

"He gave you his mother's jewelry to wear on this trip?" Cindy questioned.

"Didn't I just say that?"

"Whatever! What are ya telling Normal? I need to know how to guard your back."

"He's thinking I've got pneumonia." 

"Aiight… That means I might get time off too… Nice going, girl. I'll leave you to pack." As Cindy exited the room Max stared at the rings Logan had given her for their trip. Her stomach fell slightly. Maybe there was more to this than she thought.


	2. Carolina Inn

Title: Love Loss 2

Title: Love Loss 2

Name: Joy 

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: PG-13

**A/N: This will be my last post for a while. One of the member's of my family is on his deathbed. I don't have the energy right now to keep up with my writing. I appreciate my readers' support. **

Logan had been as good as gold at taking care of things with Normal and now as they traveled cross-country Max stared at his mother's rings on her finger. Posing as his wife was getting more comfortable; that made Max uneasier. She glanced over at Logan's sleeping figure on the plane and hoped this wasn't a huge mistake. 

He sensed he was being watched and opened his eyes briefly. A smile spread across his face, "Hey honey. Come here…" He put his arm around Max and pulled her to rest her head on his shoulder. He whispered in her ear, "Try to rest… It will look less conspicuous."

"Whom are we worried about?" Max asked only to have Logan ignore her.

For Logan's part, he had lived in a state of denial about his feelings for Max for so long, he didn't even notice he wasn't pretending…he told himself he was just acting like a married man when actually he was giving into all the closely held wishes of his heart. Touching Max in an easy manner was something he longed for and now gave into freely. Without Bling's watchful eye to remind Logan of his behavior, he was hopeless. 

Max breathed deeply reminding herself that Logan hadn't any clue how desirable he was to her. She closed her eyes and drifted into a dreamless sleep held in the arms of her pseudo-husband and closest friend. She woke only once to find Logan staring at her. She let her eyes close again trying desperately not to think why he would be staring at her. 

The car ride to the Carolina Inn in the center of UNC campus was comfortable and quiet as they discussed where they were going to begin researching. The Inn brought its own set of issues, as there was only one bed in the room, a king sized one but still just one. At Cape Haven, they had used two separate rooms claiming they both snored. 

"Uh… What are we going to do?" Max asked nervously.

"About what?" Logan responded hanging his clothes in the closet. 

"The bed… There is only one."

"Well I couldn't very well order an extra bed for a happily married couple so a got a large bed… Besides you don't sleep that much and for a few hours it should be fine. I did make sure we had a room with a living room so you could watch TV or whatever it is you do while not sleeping."

"I'll just sleep out there," Max said grabbing a blanket from the closet and heading toward the living room. 

Logan stepped in front of her, "Come on Max… There's enough room for both of us…I'll keep my hands to myself." He wicked grin spread across his face so she hit him with the blanket. 

"Are we going out again this evening or is this it?" 

"I figured sleeping would be good so we get used to the time change."

"Fine… Then I'm getting ready for bed," she said as she unloaded her clothes and grabbed her sleeping attire, which consisted of a tank top and flannel boxers. 

Max slipped into the bathroom and took a long hot bath. This vacation did come with a few perks. She got out of the tub to the smell of jasmine. She dressed quickly, finding the room illuminated by several candles. "Are we having a power outage or are you trying your hand at seduction?" she shot at Logan, who merely smiled.

"Seducing my wife? Sounds like fun… but it's a power outage," Logan responded. He was in total denial. 

"Bathrooms all yours…" Max said plopping down on the bed. Logan stared at her almost lovingly. "What?"

"Sorry…You just are the most beautiful woman I have ever met and sometimes it strikes me," he said looking deeply into her eyes. He looked away and then said, "Sometimes you're so striking…like now." He paused, "You're hair all pulled up and relaxed. I'm lucky I get to see it." He ran his hand through his hair and rubbed his neck, "Guess I'll be getting ready for bed now…" He grabbed his stuff and fled to the bathroom. Max sat dumbly on the bed trying to calm the warm tingle that enveloped her. 

Logan stared at his reflection in the mirror by candlelight. 'Stop it Cale. Just stop… Don't get confused… You're friends…only friends,' he berated himself. When he reemerged from the bathroom, he turned to Max and said, "Huh... I think I'll sleep in here..." pointing to the living room.

"Logan, really its ok. There's enough room for both of us. Come to bed..."

Logan hesitantly stepped forward and climbed into bed. They said goodnight and rolled to the opposite sides of the bed.

Max found it remarkably easy to sleep next to Logan and was surprised when she woke five hours later. She normal slept no more then four hours a night. She eased out of bed and headed for the living room. She pulled out some of the written material about Lysander Moore.

Shortly after getting situated with the files in one hand and tea in the other, Max heard Logan thrashing about. She moved back to the bedroom and crawled in bed next to Logan. She saw the beads of sweat on his brow. "Agh...Nooo...Max.... MAX!!!" Logan yelled as he tossed in his sleep.

"Logan...Logan," Max said, as she shook him lightly.

He opened his eyes briefly, blinking wildly. He wrapped his arms around Max and held her to him, kissing her head, muttering, "You're ok. I got ya. I got ya." Max didn't fight him...only let him relax back into sleep and ignoring the caresses he bestowed upon her. After attempting to remove herself without disturbing Logan, she reclined into his arms until the early hours of the morning when he stirred.

"Agh...Morning Max... I guess I didn't keep my hands to myself last night...." he whispered uncomfortably.

"You had a nightmare...something about me. You were afraid for me. I soothed you, only to have you hug me so close I couldn't get free without waking you," Max said softly. "I take it you don't remember your dream?"

"Ah…No," he said loosening his grip.

"Maybe you had one of my Manticore dreams?" Max said with a smile trying to lighten Logan's mood. He looked at her solemnly and shifted his weight to the other side of the bed climbing out. Max watched as he hid in bathroom. When she heard the shower start she knew she shouldn't mention last night's dream again…She didn't want to piss Logan off. As sweet as he could be at moments, he's self-protective armor was nearly as refined as Max's. The embarrassment of waking up clutching Max for dear life was one thing but to have her poke fun was too much for him to bear, thus the swift retreat. 

Logan left the bathroom in only the hotel robe and averted his eyes from her as he went to his suitcase and grabbed some toiletries and clothes. He wasn't over the scene from the morning yet. 

Max bit her lip as he slipped back into the bathroom without a word. "Logan, I'm gonna order some breakfast. What would you like?" she said trying to get him to lighten up. 

Logan opened the door to the bathroom swiftly with an electric razor in his hand, shaving his left cheek. "I'm sorry Max. I didn't get a word of that."

Getting over her initial shock of seeing Logan in only a robe for the second time that morning as well as holding a razor, she said, "I didn't know you owned one of those…"

His face brightened immediately and chuckled. "I figured there is still a bit of the Old South in the area where we're going… I better not look scruffy." They smiled at each other for a few minutes. "You look nice this morning," he commented of the pale blue sundress she had selected for the day.

"Thanks…" she said blushing a bit at the intensity of his gaze. "What do you want for breakfast? I was about to order room service."

"Pancakes and scrambled eggs… ooww, see if they have any watermelon," he said like an excited child. 

"Sure thing," Max said turning from the bathroom door but still feeling his eyes on her until she heard the door shut. She called room service who quickly brought them pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and watermelon. Max marveled at how long it was taking Logan to get ready in the bathroom. "He's worse then a girl," she thought to herself, imagining the primping taking place behind that closed door. 

Logan spent a long time debating where or not to leave a mustache on his face… it was a Rhett Butler thing he didn't understand. He then spent about five minutes debating asking Max what she thought only to decide he really couldn't take her laughing at him that morning. He dressed quickly in kakis and a blue short-sleeved button up shirt. The debate then became whether to comb his hair straight or spike it up like normal. After seeing himself with his hair combed down the debt was over. The image in the mirror reminded him too much of his seventh grade school picture. 

When Logan emerged from the bathroom Max was almost finished with breakfast. She licked her lips to remove the syrup on them so she could whistle at her counterpart. Logan however was fixated on her lips for a few seconds, envying her lucky tongue. She whistled at him bringing him back to reality. "Hey look at my husband. Clean shaven, sporting a very GQ look about him. I'm gonna have to beat the women away with a stick," she said to get a rise out of him. The general red coloring in his cheeks and averted eyes were payment enough. 

"Thank you, my lady. I'm glad you approve… Sorry I took so long. I just couldn't decide a couple things."

"Yes Logan…It is easier to put your socks on first and then your shoes," she said in a mocking tone.

"Wow this is good," Logan said digging into his pancakes. "It was a tough call, you know. Should I sport a mustache or not; should I comb my hair down or spike it."

"You made good choices on both counts. Mustaches are just too prickly. And I like your hair… you wouldn't look like yourself otherwise," she commented watching Logan enjoy his breakfast with great zest. 

Logan realized he and Max hadn't discussed public displays of affection. If they were to pull off this charade there would have to be a level of intimacy they didn't enjoy at the moment. He took a large swig of orange juice and cleared his throat. "Uh Max, about the mustache thing," he began as she raised an eyebrow at him. She guessed where he was going with this fairly quickly with the way he was shifting uncomfortably in his seat and avoided looking her directly in the eye when he said her name. 

"Before you embarrass yourself, I knew that a certain level of affection would be necessary. Thank you for shaving the mustache…it's just too in between. You either need to expect scruff or not…one lip with scruff and the other without is just too weird," she said trying to be as casual as possible. 

"Well… uh… should we practice?" Logan asked.

"Why Mr. Taylor are you making a pass at me?" Max asked in a fake southern accent, which promptly turned Logan's ears a deep shade of red. "You seemed to be handling the general cuddling fine on the way here so I'll let you initiate that type of contact." Max looked into Logan's eyes as he looked at her sheepishly. "Oh…you meant… Oh… ahh… sure. Practice would be wise. Married couples have an instinct of how the other person would move to… ahh… Ok practice… Go wash your hands!"

"Excuse me?" he said with eyes going big.

"Wash your hands… I'm sure you have syrup on them. The last thing I want is your hand stuck in my hair or on my arm," Max explained. 

Logan obeyed and went to the sink to wash up. He was actually quite thankful for the suggestion so he could collect himself few a few moments before giving into to a fantasy. Max on the other hand found herself with sweaty palms and a knot in her stomach. She took a sip of milk and breathed deeply. "We're just friends" each thought as they faced each other in the living room. 

They both sat down on the sofa and looked into each other's eyes for a while. Logan leaned in just a little to Max, which set the kiss in motion. They drifted into each other slowly with shuteyes. They barely brushed their lips together as they tenderly kissed. It was short and sweet, leaving both with a general tingling sensation in their bodies. Logan and Max separated, leaning back from each other uncomfortably. 

"Well…there… We now know what the other person… We'll just use that as the model of what to do in the future," Max babbled as Logan savored the feeling of her lips on his. He then looked at her briefly as she started to say something else, then he placed his hand behind her head and brought her back for another kiss. This time their lips met a few times before pulling back. Max looked at Logan confusedly.

"That is a shut up kiss… if either of us start talking about something the other thinks shouldn't be mentioned, use the shut up kiss," Logan said very matter-of-factly. Truth was he couldn't let it be over yet… so excuses, excuses. Max was still bewildered but nodded in agreement. "Let's get going to the Moore Family house…" Logan said taking Max by the elbow. The shut up kiss worked really well since she was still speechless.


	3. Moore Estate

Title: Love Loss 3

Title: Love Loss 3

Name: Joy 

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: PG-13

**A/N: Thanks to all of you who sent condolence messages. It was nice to have people show they cared.**

**A/N2: My betas are busy so forgive any grammar issues.**

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The Moore family estate was lush with greenery that would have put most historical sights to shame. The grounds were amazingly well kept by a lonely looking gardener that Max and Logan's tour passed. The group was taken to the statue erected for the mythical Nimue shortly after the death of Lysander by his family. The tour guide did her rehearsed speech to the tee, until Logan interrupted with questions. 

"Miss? Has anyone ever searched through Mr. Moore's writings to discover the true identity of Nimue?" he asked.

"Well sir, since the name Nimue Alexander was given in a legal document. No one considered the woman might have a secret identity, especially since the property adjoining this one were owned by the Alexander family," the guide spoke quickly trying to get back to where she was in her monologue. 

Logan leaned into Max's neck to whisper, "You hear that. The next-door neighbors were the Alexanders. We should poke around a little more then head to the county record office… Now pretend I whispered sweet nothings in your ear." He planted a chaste kiss on the hollow of her neck causing a slight shutter in her body.

He placed his arm around her waist as she leaned in to whisper, "If the next door neighbors are the Alexanders, why wasn't this mystery solved long ago?" She in turn kissed his neck and then his lips.

Logan was so taken in by Max and she with him that they didn't notice they were straying from the group. "Sir? Ma'am? The group is headed to the house now," the gardener said to them. Pink cheeked they returned to their tour.

"Ah… The newlyweds have decided to stay with us after all… Come, we will be going to Mr. Moore's study. The room is as authentic as possible…Some of the manuscripts on his desk are copies of what he was working on at the time of his death," the tour guide said as they entered the room. 

Logan inspected the room and asked a variety of questions in the hallway so Max could do her super quick read of the contents on Mr. Moore's desk. Without any thing of interest appearing, Logan continued to distract the guide and leave Max time to read papers around the house.

Lunch brought it's own share of land mines for Max and Logan as they sat with another young couple at the estate. "Hi… Mind if we join you?" the gentleman said as he and his wife sat down. 

"No, be our guests," Logan said raising a little as was the custom of gentility in the presence of a woman.

"Thank you. The rest of the group is a little… well… old," the wife said.

"We're the Tysons- Paul and Sarah," the husband said shaking Logan's hand.

"We're the Taylors- Logan and Max," Logan responded.

"Max? Is that short for Maxine?" Sarah asked.

"No…Just Max. Short and efficient," she responded.

"Oh… those kind of parents," Paul said rolling his eyes.

Logan and Max looked at each other for a moment as Logan slid his arm around her. "Yeah, those kind of parents." 

"So are you here for the fairytale portion of the story or the mystery?" asked Paul inquisitively.

"Both!" Logan said snuggling Max closer to himself. He closed his eyes and laid his forehead to hers before giving her a light kiss. Max looked into Logan's eyes seeing oceans of deep blue filled with unidentified emotions. 

"I'm definitely here for the romantic fairytale…" Sarah said before enjoying her sandwich. 

"I don't really see it as a fairytale," Max commented.

"Really?"

"Yeah…. What's so great about a man in denial?" Max asked as Logan shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh… all great romances have a period of denial between the lovers," Paul stated, "even Romeo and Juliet."

"Sleeping Beauty there was no denial between the lovers- they were meant to be from the first moment," Sarah said to her husband.

"No… Prince Phillip didn't really want to marry Princess Aurora. I call that denial," Logan challenged. 

"Yes…but that was before he realized she was the peasant girl from the forest with the amazing voice. He knew immediately he wanted to marry the peasant girl once he met her… I was thinking more of the Grim fairytale where there was no question of his desire to have the Sleeping Beauty. Though I have to say having a guy slay a dragon to get to you is a really big turn on for me," Sarah said sipping her drink. "So Max, what's your favorite fairytale?"

"I've never given it much thought."

"I bet Logan knows what it would be," Paul commented, thoroughly believing that all marriage partners could read each other's minds. 

"Actually I don't. Max doesn't really go for the mushiness associated with most fairytales," Logan said looking at his pseudo bride. 

"I think I would have to pick Robin Hood," Max said after a few moments of pondering.

"Really?" Logan asked to which Max nodded. "I never would have guessed that."

"I like the idea of a guy who would rob the rich to feed the poor, especially the corrupt wealthy royalty. Now that would turn me on," Max said sending Logan a sizzling look. All he could do was gape at the idea that Max would even minorly implying he turned her on. 

"Now you see… You even chose a story where the hero is in denial of his feelings for Maid Marine," Paul injected. 

"Yeah, Robin didn't see himself as worthy of Marine's affections. All though he would risk life and limb to win a kiss from her at the archery contest," Logan said in a husky tone unfamiliar to Max. 

Sarah cleared her throat and changed the subject, "So how long have you been together?"

Max's face began to warm as anxiety and arousal washed over her. Not only was Logan snuggling closer to her but he was staring at her like she was the most precious thing in the world. She went to speak only to have Logan answer the question, "A couple of years. It was love at first sight for me, though she took some convincing."

"Oh. Why was that?" Sarah asked obviously attracted to Logan's attention to Max.

"Trust isn't my strong suit," Max whispered still looking into Logan's penetrating eyes. It was the first moment she actually entertained the idea that Logan might not be acting. His gaze was so deep and unashamed that she felt almost seduced by his eyes. 

"Should we leave you two alone?" Paul asked interrupting the intensity of the moment.

"No… I'm sorry. I was just thinking of the first time I saw Max. We started bickering over a statue moment one and I just knew I had to make her mine," Logan said flitting his eyes at Paul and Sarah before meeting Max's gaze again. He cleared his throat and went on with the story looking at Max only occasionally. "I tracked her down to talk to her… She wasn't interested at all. Giving her the statue only made her mad. I really goofed up moments after getting her to finally spend sometime with me by pushing to far too fast. Lucky for me she cooled off in time and gave me a shot at the friend thing."

"So…how'd you get involved?" Sarah asked sipping her sweet tea. 

"Several candlelight dinners at my house and chess games," Logan said turning back to Max. "I had to earn every ounce of trust she has in me." Logan's eyes shown with the truth of his statements. 

"So when did you know you were in love with Logan?" Paul asked biting into his sandwich. 

Logan was prepared to offer Max the out of 'Max doesn't like to talk about her heart with strangers' when she abruptly kissed his lips. The shut up kiss having done its job, Max began, "Well, we'd been close friends for a long while when I discovered that Logan was a poet, a good poet at that. When he let me read a poem he wrote about me, that was when I knew I didn't want to live without him in my life."

Logan's eyes were wide with surprise as he looked at Max. She couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes out of fear that the truth would be too easily read on her face. "So you've heard our story… how'd you get together?" Max asked Sarah digging into her sandwich and ignoring Logan's stare.

Sarah and Paul started relaying their romance as Max and Logan exchanged a few shy glances. The Tysons felt the Taylors seemed to be too involved with each other to be good company. Logan made apologizes for their behavior and they continued the tour with the rest of the group. Max & Logan were better behaved for the second half of the tour, though Max did notice the gardener paying great attention to them as they went by. 

"Why are we so interesting, I wonder?" she thought while being escorted to the South garden by Logan at her arm. 


	4. Skinny Dipping

Love Loss 4

Title: Love Loss 4

Name: Joy 

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: PG-13

A/N: Sorry for the lack of posting. I am working on a story with my own characters and everything. Any one who would like the opportunity to read what I've written so far drop me a line. 

As they left the estate Max drew Logan's attention to the gardener staring at them, "Logan…"

"Hmm…"

"Is there a reason the gardener would find us so interesting?" Max nodded to the man to their left.

Logan turned to see the dark penetrating eyes of the man staring. "Maybe it's our age difference."

"I don't think so… Its more perplexed then that."

"I wouldn't worry… I'm anxious to get to the county records office," Logan said as they started towards their car. Max looked back again to see the man still staring.

"He knows something Logan… He knows what we really are after."

"Well sure… I'm sure he's seen a hundred people before us wanting the same thing. He's probably just fiercely protective of the legend is all… Stop worrying."

Max stared out the window of the car trying to focus once again on the mystery in front of her rather then the mystery that sat beside her driving the car. In solitary moments Max had to admit Logan was a mystery to her. He was the challenge she could always count on to be enigmatic and soulful. In the end, even if she never broke into another high security facility, Logan would be enough of a puzzle for her to use all of her ingenuity on. He could satisfy her cat like curiosity with his conversation, freedom fighting and general history. 

For Logan's part he sat running over their conversation at lunch, dissecting each comment for subtext. Max had pretty much said he turned her on… or at least the Eyes Only side of him was a turn on. She pretty much also owned up to the fact that his poetry affected her… she liked it. He avoided thoughts of what subtext he had spoken during the meal, knowing that it was far more then he intended. 

The long stretch of high way went through the center of town wound around where the couple was staying, it also is in the near vicinity of the archives. "Were we going back to the hotel before the archives?" Max asked sweetly with her big brown eyes veiled through dark lashes. 

"What?" Logan asked wholly distracted by his 'wife's beauty.

"The hotel… You drove past the record office five minutes ago."

"Oh… Umm… Sorry. I don't think lunch agreed with me… We'll go to the office tomorrow when we can spend the whole day." 

"Alright… Let's see if we can find a good place to swim around here. The Tyson's mentioned a place named Kerr Lake. Maybe we can actually relax some on this vacation," she said with a big smile. 

"Why not…"

***********************************************************************************************************

"You did this on purpose!" Max fused as she pouted as Logan got them thoroughly lost in a small area of Chapel Hill proper."You really didn't want to go swimming and now it's late and dark and you won't go!"

"I'm sorry Max. I just don't think it's a good idea to go traipsing around after dark. This is a state that was very proud of the fact you could declare someone an outlaw and anyone could legally kill that person," Logan said as he continued to follow Max on foot. 

"Logan, you're with me. I have put too much into you to let anyone hurt you," she said continuing on her way. 

Logan however stopped dead in his tracks; "You've put too much into me… Gee thanks Max… I sound like a pet you're training."

"I didn't mean that and you know it… Come on… we're almost there. Promise that you'll at least come in with me for a bit," she pled pouting slightly. Logan rolled his eyes and nodded. They continued on until there was a gravel path that led to a sign posted. 

"What's skinny dipping?" Max asked abruptly.

"Huh?" Logan did a double take. 

"On the sign it says no skinny dipping. What is it?" she asked with a childlike innocence that reinforced the tug on his heart. 

"Umm… Skinny-dipping is when you swim without clothes. Generally teenagers do it. Right of passage sort of thing."

"Did you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Have you ever been skinny dipping?" Max asked calmly with a slight smile as she gazed at him. 

Logan began to sweat, "Sure when I was a teenager… Nothing big… I mean it wasn't a big deal… I mean… It's something I have done… Yes."

"Well, I haven't so I think we should… You can't deprive me of a right of passage, can you Logan?"

Logan stared dumbly at the goddess in front of him boldly shedding her clothing a piece at a time as she walked toward the water and then dove in. He realized his knees locked the minute her shoulder straps came down. Dear God he must be dreaming because there is no way on earth Max would ever consciously strip down in front of his eyes. 

The splash of water of Max's perfect dive sent ripples through the moonlit water. "Come on in Logan. The water is nice and warm," Max stated causally waving him in. Logan took two steps gingerly closer when Max said, "Let's see that fine chest!"

"Excuse me!" Logan balked. 

"We're skinny dipping!"

"No… You're skinny-dipping. I only agreed to swim," he stated flatly. 

"Logan… You said this was a right of passage. I need you to do this with me."

"How is my being naked going to help?" Logan asked with a hand on his hip.

"Then it will be like the real thing."

An evil glint came into Logan's eyes as he thought about the 'real thing' for him when he went skinny dipping as a teenager. It was all an elaborate attempt to get to see girls naked. For him personally, it was a way to possibly touch the naked flesh of his girlfriend. By the end of the night it was the preamble to losing his virginity. The images and sensations flowed through him like lightening. 

Boldness came over Logan as he deftly stripped out of his clothes, making sure Max's eyes were on him…and his body. His shirt was leisurely pulled over his head. He watched as Max gulped when he reached for the tie of the front of his shorts. They locked eyes as the garment fell. Max turned her head as Logan practically sauntered into the water, unashamed of his body or its arousal. Max became all too aware of the affect his demeanor had on her. She was no longer the one pushing the buttons. Now her buttons were being pushed.

"If you really wanted this to be like the real thing," Logan said in a seducing tone as he approached Max cautiously, "there are other things involved." His penetrating stare totally unnerved Max. She felt not only seduced but also stalked.

"Such as?" she replied trying to remain calm. 

"Such as," he repeated getting close enough to her that she could feel his body heat, "this." He raised his hands over her head and promptly dunked her in the lake water.

"You are so dead!" Max scowled through her wet mane of hair. 

And so began the water war of splashing and frolicking, until that is, there became more body contact. Logan grabbed Max's arms so she couldn't splash him. This led to Max shift their combined body weight so that Logan and she would fall back together. She quickly wrapped her arms around Logan's entire mid section as to pin his arms to his body, bringing their skin right up against each other. "Got ya!" Max shouted in triumph.

"Oh yeah…" was all Logan could say as Max's breasts were pressed up against his bare chest. His arousal was evident not only by his appendage but by the look in his eyes when he looked on Max's face. Max loosened her grip caught up in the moment as Logan nudged his arms up so he could pull her to himself. 

Seconds passed as they stared at each other in the moonlight. Logan lowered his mouth to Max's waiting lips and they feasted upon each other. Naked flesh pushed up against each other, chest to chest, heart to heart. Max's arms were about Logan's neck as he stroked her back and hips as they continued to kiss. 

Haggard breath and moans wafted over the water as they continued to give in to what they desired. Kissing along Max's neck he murmured, "I want you," in a breathy whisper. 

The snap of a twig near by and the high-pitched giggles of girls alerted Max they were not alone. "Logan," she whispered, "we have an audience."

"Then let's give them an eye full…" he whispered huskily as massaged Max's hip and thigh while licked her ear causing her to shiver and moan. 

One of the teenagers watching lost her balance and came crashing through the bushes. Max and Logan instinctively snapped their heads to the youth lying in an undignified heap on the ground. "Sorry…" the girl muttered. "You really shouldn't be here." She stood and brushed herself off, "They have a habit of making examples of adult skinny dippers for us kids."

By now Max had slipped behind Logan for protection. "Thanks for the warning…" Logan said trying desperately to calm his raging hormones. "Would you mind having your friends turn around as well as yourself?"

"Not a problem," the girl answered and turned to her friends with a flurry of whispers and giggles. 

"Come on Logan," Max whispered. "We better get going."

"We were going just fine as far as I'm concerned," he said huskily, shooting Max a hot stare as they vacated the water. They dried and dressed quickly.

"Hope we didn't shock you," Logan said to the girl who had fallen. 

"Tamer then the stuff we can get on cable…but a live viewing is slightly more exciting," she responded. 

The girl's candor impressed him. "Hey Max you sure you don't have a missing younger sister?" 

"Not every smart ass is related to me Logan!" Max snapped back. "No offense," she said addressing the teenager. 

"Non taken," the teenager responded. "If you want a cool place to get your groove on in town, I'd suggest the old planetarium on campus. It's only used occasionally by the college."

Logan looked at her keenly, "And the rest of the time?"

"Left to the devises of the clever!" she smiled. He smiled as led him by the hand away while the teenagers discussed the event with high-pitched voices only dogs and teenage girls can understand. 

"That was more fun then I expected," Logan said as he got into the driver's seat. Max shot him a disapproving glare from the passenger side. "So? Ya want to hit the planetarium?"


	5. Rich Playboy Logan Cale

Title: Love Loss 5

Title: Love Loss 5

Name: Joy 

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: R

"I can't believe we just did that," Max said as they drove away from the lake. 

"Skinny-dipping was your idea," Logan immediately responded. 

"I wasn't talking about that… I was talking about…" she attempted to discuss what had just transpired with little success.

"The kissing? You can't believe we did that?" Logan asked in shock. 

"It's not like I haven't thought about it or that I didn't like it. I just can't believe it got that hot and heavy _that_ quickly," she said unable to look in his direction. 

"Why? You seemed to imply at lunch that you found me sexy. And you're phenomenal… It's like DAMN, whenever anyone looks at you… I guess I feel like there was definitely hot and heavy potential there," he responded.

"But Logan this is **us**… Partners… We've never gone there before. All of a sudden we're naked, pinned to one another, making out as if our lives depended on it… I can't help but think this is just a side effect of the fact we're on vacation," Max said looking at Logan intensely. 

Logan's face-hardened in every way possible. He closed off all emotions to Max in the blink of an eye. If he had more guts he would have argued that it was inevitable, they felt so much for each other and yet something always got in the way. If he hadn't been so hurt at how shallow she thought him, he confessed that the trip had nothing to do with an article he wanted to write and everything to do with getting to spend one on one time with her with no threat of Zack busting them up. All Logan could manage to say was, "Fine! If that's what you think."

Max realized she had hurt Logan but she wasn't sure how. "Logan, what's wrong? I'm trying to make heads or tails of a situation that… well…isn't common for our relationship."

"That's fine. Our relationship shouldn't involve me telling me how much I want you, fine. I misunderstood today… I'll get over it," he said curtly.

"Logan you wouldn't have said it if the circumstances had been different. If we were in Seattle right now I doubt we would have been skinny-dipping, giving you the opportunity to get turned on and want me," Max tried to appease Logan's hurt ego.

"Max- stop. You've made it very clear you aren't happy or comfortable with what happened. I'm just glad the kids were there to stop us before _we _did anything that would have totally screwed up our friendship when _you _went into remorse mode," he stated with clipped speech. 

"What the hell does that mean?" she snapped.

"It means I was set to go to the planetarium and you weren't," he snapped back.

"That's right. I'm not about to fall into bed with you when I know damn well that I would end up being the Rich Playboy Logan Cale's lay of the week on his vacation and it would be Eyes Only business as usual on Monday!"

The car came to a screeching halt on the side of the road. "Get out!" Logan yelled. Max looked at him in shock. "Either your getting out or I am. Take your pick. But I won't ride in the same car with some I considered a friend only to realize she thinks I'm a bastard." Max still sat dumbly. "Fine…" Logan got out of the car and slammed the door. He hurriedly walked away from the road so Max couldn't follow him in the car. 

It took another couple seconds for Max to realize what had just happened. "Crap! What did I just do?!" she muttered to herself as she switched seats. "He's never going to forgive me for what I just said!"

Max started the car and tried to visually find Logan in the night along the road. She saw someone moving up ahead on the right in the woods walking kicking rocks. Driving slowly as close to where he was moving she opened the window to yell her apologies. "Logan…" she called and watched the faint movement stop. "Logan, I'm sorry!" No movement. "Please come back to the car." He started walking in the direction of the hotel not in the direction of the car. "If you still don't want to talk to me… I'll get out of the car and walk back to the hotel."

Logan's figure halted in his path away from the car. He stood for a moment or two considering. "I really am sorry," she called again. Logan took a deep breath and headed back to the car. Max halted the car and looked at him with hope as he approached. 

He stuck his head in the window. "I'll be fine walking home Max. You needn't worry… I need to cool off alright."

"Logan… come on. Get in the car," she pled.

"No Max. I have some thinking to do."

"Why?" 

"Because my best friend thinks I haven't changed at all since I first met her, even with everything that we've been through together… I need to think about what that means, and I'd rather think about it without you," Logan said calmly. 

This was way worse then she thought. "I don't think you're a bastard Logan," she said with pleading eyes. 

"But you do think I would use you to meet my needs and desires without a thought to you," he said with a shrug and walked on.

"That's not true Logan!" she called after him. Max watched Logan walk along the side of the road ahead of her. She sat in the running car and tried to figure out how things had gotten so messed up. Max reluctantly drove ahead to the hotel and tried to think of something she could do to make things better. 

Logan walked along the road trying to tell his heart that Max had just made it very clear that she wouldn't trust him romantically. Even with everything that happened between them, all the things they had been through it all came back to how he had screwed up in front of the mirror when they first met. He manipulated her and she never forgot it. He blew it long ago and it was time to face facts, life would always get between them. He would never have his Nimue. 

When Logan finally arrived at the hotel Max was already asleep, but she had left a big note saying she was sorry. There was a note on his bag saying to wake her when he got in. Logan just shook his head and headed for the shower. He tried his best to let the water wash away the memories of Max's skin and lips. He got hard just thinking about it. He reached for a towel only to find the towels along with his clothes were gone. 

"Max!" he yelled. "Bring my stuff back here this instant."

"Only if you talk to me!" she retaliated.

"Max- I'm mad about the towels not tonight. I'm not mad about earlier anymore, okay," Logan said calmly.

"Then you accept my apology," she said meekly.

"Yes… Now answer me something- why'd you apologize?"

"Because I hurt your feelings and my statement wasn't fair," she pouted.

"Yeah, but I really haven't done a whole lot to disprove that opinion," he stated.

"That's not what…"

Logan interrupted her, "It's okay Max. Let's just forget about it."

"I don't want to forget about it; I want you to believe me," she stared at him and he stared right back. "You're not sleeping on the sofa!" she announced after a moment. "We're both sleeping in the big bed. Agreed?" she pushed.

"Fine… Now give me a towel," he relented.

Logan dried off and got into his pajamas. He climbed into bed next to Max who instinctively rolled over to be closer to him. Her downy head of curls snuggled up on his chest. "I'm sorry Logan," she whispered. "You're my best friend, too," she said to be reassuring.

"Yeah- best friend," he said with a frown before kissing her head and going to sleep. 


	6. Cuddle Max!

Title: Love Loss 6

Title: Love Loss 6

Name: Joy 

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: PG-13

Max and Logan snuggled together in the big bed at the Carolina Inn through out the night. Alternating stated of sleepiness and dreams prompted caresses and kisses. On the semi-conscious level no decisions were made; their bodies just acted on what came natural. 

Around three a.m. both Max and Logan were not quite wakeful but not entirely asleep. By now they were sleeping like spoons with Max's back against Logan's chest. "Humph…" Max mumbled at Logan.

"Humm?" Logan responded. 

"You're tickling my ear," she said groggily.

"Sorry," he mumbled to pull away.

"Where you goin'?" Max fumbled like a little kid.

"Not tickling…Sleeping."

"Come back… I'll move."

"Fine," Logan said rolling back over on his side. Max's nose was at his nose. She rubbed their noses together and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. One of Logan's arms got a mind of it own and reached over and caressed Max's hip as his kissed her lightly. "I could get used to this."

"I have no objections," Max said with a yawn.

"Better then makin' out in front of teenagers?" he asked with a laugh.

Max chuckled, "A different kind of better."

"Come here," Logan said possessively and gathered Max closer. Lying on his back, Logan positioned Max to use his chest as a pillow. She threw one arm over his chest and intertwined their legs. Logan dropped a chaste kiss a top her head and cupped her face. "My dark angel," he whispered as she snuggled into his arms more fully. 

Two hours later Max woke up fully and stretched luxuriously. She realized that in the process of the night she had moved to rest entirely on Logan's chest with her legs between his. She was his own personal blanket. She chuckled to herself at the thought, then proceeded to move and cover him with the comforter. "Noooo…" Logan groggily protested losing his human blanket wrapping his arms around Max's waist. 

"Let me up Logan," Max said sweetly.

"Stay!" he grumbled as he rubbed his face against her arm like a cat. 

"I'm going to get a shower. Cuddle the comforter," she offered trying not to wake him from his slumber.

Eyes still shut and basically half dead, Logan muttered, "Cuddle Max!" Logan managed to settle her over more of him by moving one of his arms. Now instead of rubbing his face against her arm, he was rubbing his face against her breasts causing the air in her lungs to vacate. She was soon aware that Logan was an early riser; at least his shorts had an early riser in them. 

As calmly as possible Max said, "Logan, I'm getting up now. Either you let me up or I make you let me up."

"Humph…" he pouted and let his arms go limp. "Kiss?" 

"If you're actually awake, I'm going to kill you!" Max said staring at him for any change in expression. None came so she kissed him lightly and headed to the bathroom. 

Logan waited until he heard the shower turn on to roll over and smile before falling back to sleep. 

A couple hours later Logan stumbled into the front room where Max was drinking coffee and reading at his laptop dutifully. "Morning bedhead!" she said with a smile at his hair sticking up in all directions. She handed him a cup of coffee as she chuckled.

"Thanks," he said blinking sleepily. "Shower," he muttered pointing to the bathroom. "Don't take my clothes and towels again!" he warned. Max smirked as he tripped over his own feet going into the bathroom. 

The shower water started and Max crept to the bathroom door. She peered around the room to locate his clothes and towels only to find none. "Decided you wanted to see my _package _again Max?" he asked as she hurriedly slammed the door. She could hear his laughter on the other side of the door. 

"You suck!" she shouted and entered the bathroom again. "Where'd you hide your stuff?"

"Now why would I tell you that?" he responded. 

"You answer me right now or… or I'm yanking the curtain back!"

"Why would that bother me? You saw me naked last night. Nothing has changed in the last several hours," Logan replied. "And I mean that with all its implications!"

Max's face became flushed wondering what he actually meant. Did that mean he was still 'up' from this morning? Did that mean he still wanted her? Did that mean he was still mad? Max became very aware of how her body was responding to the possibilities so she opted for a tactical retreat. "Fine… Don't tell me. When you're done I have something to show you and it isn't my naked body!" she said, deciding turn about was fair play. She heard Logan groan slightly as the door slammed behind her. 

"What did you need to show me?" Logan said as he dried his hair with a towel. 

Max smiled as she bit into her peach, "I did a search of all books that were published with Moore's work in them ten years or more after his death. I found one book with poetry in it from late in Lysander's life. There are several references to the lady of the lake and the area that is now Kerr Lake. It seems we aren't the only ones that liked that area."

Logan smirked at the light-heartedness Max brought to the painful remainder he got the night before of the distance between them still. She looked at him innocently with eyes big with wonder and lips with full pout. His heart ached to taste them again. 

She pointed at the screen as she spoke, "Here…"__

_ _

_**Lady of the Lake**_

_ _

_And there she stood _

_My Lady of the Lake_

_Water splashing at her feet_

_ _

_Profile of amazing beauty_

_I'm not supposed to notice_

_For she is above me in soul _

__

_Eyes the color of the summer sky in a storm_

_The storm rages around us_

_I'm not supposed to notice_

_ _

_Her lips pout _

_As pain of reality _

_Floats between us_

_ _

_She is on the water_

_I am on the land_

_I'm not supposed to notice_

_ _

_I reach to touch the vision_

_Only to have it fade_

_How am I not supposed to notice?_

_ _

_ _

The words spread between Max and Logan like an invisible wall. "That sounds real to me," Logan muttered, knowing Lysander's pain of separation from his love by nothing but air and thoughts.

"What could keep them apart?" Max asked.

"It mentions she is above him in soul… Maybe she was already dead?" Logan ventured.

"Maybe… To me it sounds more haunting… like he can see her everyday but can't talk to her or tell her of his heart," Max said staring at the screen. She looked up into Logan's face to catch his pain. 

The look faded and Logan spoke again. "Maybe he was in love with the pastor's wife? Let's look at the hall of records for some more answers rather then more questions," his mood having become almost oppressive in seconds. 

"Yeah… Sure…" she mumbled as she watched Logan move away from her in body and mind. 

__


	7. Star Gazing

Title: Love Loss 7

Title: Love Loss 7

Name: Joy 

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: R

"I'm going to go blind Logan!" Max fussed at the man sitting next to her as he plowed through the microfiche of the 1880 census for the county. Max meanwhile was going through all of the accounts of Alexanders during the post-Civil War period. Truthfully there was no problem with her eyes she just wanted Logan's attention. 

The playfulness of the past day and half slipped into the background as his single focus came into vision again. Finding out whom Nimue Alexander had been was all that mattered at the moment. "Do you at least have anything for us to take pride in?" she asked when he didn't look up from the machine. 

"The Alexander family that lived next door had a daughter whose middle name was Nimue but she was only fourteen at the time of Lysander's death… I really don't want to think about this man having a Lolita complex… Besides if it was her why wouldn't have the family accepted the money and property?" he asked.

"Maybe because they didn't want to face the idea that their neighbor was a pedophile or that he may have been molesting their daughter…" Max said with raised eyebrow. 

"You would think a story like that would have gotten leaked over the years though… Sex scandals have been attractive in every generation- just look at Clinton."

"Well I haven't found a solitary account of a Nimue Alexander having born, lived, or died during the period of time. Then again lots of the records of this area were torched during the Civil War," Max said with a sigh. "What is that?" she asked pointing a finger to a string of tallies in the far right side of the screen.

"This is the census account of the Alexander plantation. Those are the accounts of the slaves that lived on the plantation," Logan said looking at Max.

"There are no names written down?" she asked perplexed.

Logan sighed, "No Max. They weren't considered people. It was a time in America's history no one is proud of."

"We should take a break and relax before we go nuts," Max said attempting to get Logan out of the archive. 

"Maybe there will be something at the plantation we missed," he said thoughtfully.

"Fine… But I want to do something fun on this vacation that doesn't end with us in a big fight," she came back at him. 

"Alright. Lets hit the campus for some fun. Maybe there's a frat party that we can crash and the men can honor you with kegs of beer," he said with frustration.

"Where the hell did that come from? Are you my husband on this vacation or not?" she said accusatorily. He looked at her with great curiosity and nodded. "Well then… I am not the type to cheat besides the frat boys can't hold a candle to my Robin Hood."

He gave her a small smile as he chuckled at his own insecurity. "Robin Hood?"

"Very sexy!" Max said with a wink. "Anyway, I bet you were a frat boy at one time. I'm sure you worshiped your fair share of women."

"None as magnificent as you," he said with sincerity in his clear blue eyes.

"Magnificent, huh?"

"Gorgeous… Intelligent… Amazing… There are a million adjectives that I could use but none of them really does you justice. Magnificent will have to do," Logan said finding courage in her Robin Hood comment. 

"Let's go to dinner," Max commented as her cheeks flushed. 

Playing husband and wife on campus was nice. Especially when Max allowed Logan the privilege of putting a drunken frat boy in his place when he came on too strong to Max. Logan seemed completely at peace with shoving the kid saying, "Stay away from my wife." Max actually got a surprising thrill from him saying the words and coming to her 'rescue'. 

The couple walked arm in arm around campus enjoying being together with nothing pressing in on them from the outside world. They stopped to gaze at the moon in front of a very large magnolia in front of a brick building. "I knew you would look amazing next to a magnolia," Logan commented as Max stood off from him for a moment. 

"I'll be right back," she said gazing at the tall tree. Soon enough Logan realized she had climbed almost to the top. 

"Max… What are you doing?" Logan strained to whisper/ yell at her.

"Being one of the clever," she responded. 

"What?!" he called as she jumped to the top of the building. 

"We're at the Planetarium Logan," she said as she propped the roof door open. Soon she arrived on the ground level and led Logan to the roof. "We can see the stars really well from up here," she said looking at the sky. "And we aren't anywhere near the edge for you to get freaked out."

Logan breathed deeply and lay down on the roof staring at the stars. "We can't see these this well in Seattle," he said quietly. Max lay down next to Logan attempting to get comfortable. Logan instinctively wrapped an arm around Max and pulled her to his chest. "I don't get to see you this well in Seattle either."

Her eyes found his filled with tenderness. "It… If anything… Never mind," Logan muttered.

"What?" Max asked.

"Nothing…" he murmured but then continued as she glared at him. "Eyes Only isn't as important as you are to me, Max. Sometimes I go overboard, but I need you to believe me when I say you mean more to me then it," he said softly touching her face. 

She snuggled down into his chest further and kissed the palm of his hand. Holding his hand in hers Max said, "I believe you," but didn't look up. 

Max and Logan had retired to bed pretending that their emotions weren't running high. After cuddling on the roof of the planetarium for an hour, they returned to the hotel making small talk about what direction to take next with the search for Nimue. In the end they acted like an old married couple reading in bed then rolling over to go to sleep. 

The summer heat was stifling as the night moved on. The fans and air conditioning of hotel were only marginally helpful. Max instinctively kicked off her shorts and the covers. Logan pealed his shirt off and the covers lay at the foot of the bed. He got up to turn the AC up all the way and returned to bed half asleep. 

The male side of him was very aware of Max's shapely hips bare of anything but panties and breasts reacting to the texture of the tank top she was sleeping in. He groaned hardening at the sight and slipped back into bed. Max turned toward the motion in the bed and threw her arm over Logan's chest inching closer to him. "Thanks for getting the air," Max mumbled and kissed his chest. 

Logan grunted, feeling her lips on his chest only made his erection flare up, "No problem."

"You're grumpy," she said settling more of her body along his side. 

Unsteady breathes shook from him. "Max… It's too hot to snuggle."

"No its not. You liked it this morning," she said playfully biting nipple slightly. 

Logan suddenly was above her having rolled to the side. "Fine… I'm too hot to snuggle," he said with clarity in his eyes. 

Max opened her eyes and took in the sight of his taut body hard for her. She licked her lips involuntarily, saying, "Then lets not snuggle." She leaned up and kissed him hungrily.

Logan attempted to leash himself, "Max… Max…" he muttered as his body rested on her hips. "I can't play right now… You didn't want to… You're tired… You'll hate me." He said as she licked his ear. He groaned heatedly and then rocked his hips with hers, caressing her hip.

"You feel so good Logan," Max whispered in his ear as their bodies rubbed together. "Touch me."

The moan that ripped from Logan's heart was one of anguish and frustration. "I want you so badly. I want to be in you and feel you all around me… But you'll hate me…I know you will," he said as he shook pulling away from her. "I couldn't handle not having you in my life Max. I… I can't…" he said stealing away to the bathroom.

Max sat trembling on the bed. The shower started and Max got up crossing to the bathroom. She listened at the door as Logan cursed over and over his weakness. She his frustrated groans and slight sobs for her. She kept hearing him mutter how it would never work. They could never be together… And then she heard him cry in the shower…for her. He was Lysander in so many ways. He could see her everyday and everyday be reminded of the distance between them. The pain was unbearable as she listened to Logan cry. 

Logan opened the bathroom door almost an hour later, with a firmer resolve to keep Max at a distance from his heart. He found Max on the floor right outside the door asleep on his silk robe curled up in a ball. Logan bent down, picked her up and laid her in the bed. He kissed her goodnight and set himself in the front room's couch. 

He knew at that moment, he could never lie next to Max without thinking of this night. The easiness between them was gone. He couldn't risk her safety. He knew in that moment the pain Lysander Moore felt all those years ago. Pain like that isn't fictitious… there was a Nimue as alive as Max and he would find her. 


	8. She's Real- she has to be!

Title: Love Loss end

Title: Love Loss 8

Name: Joy 

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: PG-13

Max watched Logan sleep for an hour before she acknowledged willing him to wake up wouldn't help any. She whispered to him as he slept, "Thank you for telling me I mean more then Eyes Only… I still can't believe you wanted me last night. You could have anyone… I'll let you sleep but I wanted you to know, I could never hate you… Never." 

She turned away not seeing the tear that ran from his eye over his cheek. There was something final about the statement. They both felt the void and the pain that lay between them more entrenched then ever. 

They dressed in silence readying to go back to the Moore Estate. Little was said as they ate or drove, both feeling there was a job to be done. Everything would be different when they got back to Seattle. The pain was too fresh and the wound too open. 

They scurried about the estate asking questions of the different servants around the plantation with no real success. Finally Logan came upon the groundskeeper sitting in the shade cooling himself. "Excuse me sir, I'd like to ask you some questions," Logan asked.

"I'll bet," he said with a smile. "You want to know who Nimue was and if she was real, right?" the man said calmly.

"Well, yes sir. If there is anything you can tell me, I'd be grateful."

"Your wife is a pretty thing. How long you been together?" the older gentlemen said. 

"Two years," Logan said with tight drawn lips.

"She's not your wife, is she?" the old gardener stated to Logan as Max wondered the grounds before them. "You wish she was though?"

"Sir, I'm sorry… You're mistaken," Logan said quietly.

"No, I'm not… You have the look of a man afraid of losing love, not one of being happily married."

Logan gazed at him a moment trying to decipher where this was heading. "I've listened to your questions to all those around here. They're not questions one wants answers unless you have a vested interest. You aren't worried if Lysander was insane- that would make a fantastic story… You want to prove that Nimue existed. She has to exist, for you not for him…"

Logan started to walk away from the gardener, "You misunderstand my interest."

"Say what you will…I can see through you. Until you admit the truth, this will remain a mystery because you wouldn't recognize the truth even as it stares you in the face," he said pointing to Max. 

Storming off, Logan passed Max without a word. She glanced back at the old man then followed Logan. 

"Logan! Logan!!! What's wrong?" 

"Everything…Everything… This place… Just leave me alone," he answered.

"Don't push me away!" she responded placing a hand on his shoulder. He turned quickly back to her wrapping his arms around her, seeking solace. He pulled away to look at her for a moment. His eyes looked close and intimate for a moment and then fear filled them. Logan turned away again and crossed the lawn. "Logan!" Max yelled.

Max went back to the gardener to find out what had been said. "What the hell did you say to my husband to unnerve him so?!" she demanded.

"Nothing he didn't already know."

"What does that mean?"

"That means he needs for the story of Nimue to be real… He needs her to be real. If she's not real, he's lost," the old man commented.

"You're nuts!" Max spat.

"If she is real then _you_ can actually be his. If she isn't real, he has no shot with you."

"I'm his wife," she said to cover over the anxiety level rising within herself. 

"No you aren't…though he wishes you were… You're his Nimue, his unattainable love and beauty that his is afraid of losing," the gardener said simply.

Max stood staring at the man, disbelief surrounding her. "I have to find my husband."

"He'll be at the statue of Nimue in the garden."

"How do you know?"

"It's where they always go," he said quietly staring at her.

"They?" Max inquired.

"The ones that identify with Lysander… We get about one a year. You're the first Nimue I've met though… You'll make it if he can just admit what's in front of him…though for men like him that's hard. That's why this all started in the first place isn't it? If a strong stubborn man had just come to terms with his heart before it was too late, we wouldn't have desperate men seeking my garden for solace."

Max breathed an uneasy breath and walked away from the old man. She walked a long ways to the garden until she saw Logan's figure on his knees before the statue…right where the gardener predicted he would come. She watched he body carefully realizing he was crying from a sorrow she couldn't identify. She crept quietly behind him to attain what was wrong. 

"I'm so confused," he murmured to the statue. "She's going to leave me…I know it. We can't be together…that has been the way it was set up from the beginning. I don't know what I thought…if another man could love a living, breathing myth that maybe I could too. What a fool? You're not real anymore than the possibility of Max and me. You're just a myth… and I am just an idiot in love with a myth." 

If he hadn't spoken the words out loud Max wouldn't have believed it. She moved away silently, leaving Logan in peace alone. He loved her…he wasn't pretending. The gardener was right. She went to the tool shed to find the old man, but he wasn't there. She wandered the grounds until she spotted him at the edge of the estate the crossed into forest. 

He was kneeling down, brushing something on the ground. "You know its true now…" he said quietly.

"Yes," was all Max could utter. 

"Come…" Max approached the spot on the ground to see a white grave marker that was weather beaten. There appeared to be no writing at all on it until the gardener took a hand full of dirt and ran it over the stone. Suddenly the name that they had been researching appeared on the stone. Nimue Alexander was real and had a gravestone to prove it. "She was his next door neighbor… The name Nimue isn't common, I would have thought you would have checked old census records."

"We did… The family in the next plot were the Alexander's but there was no daughter named Nimue."

"You still don't get it do you? You're in the South… The woman you're looking for was born just before the Civil War. Did you ever check the records of the slaves or former slaves from the area? The reason you didn't find her was you were looking for a white legitimate daughter…when she was a black illegitimate daughter… The rich landowner next door fell in love with a woman he would never be allowed to be with…so he left her everything, in death honoring her in a way the world would quickly dismiss and create a myth to cover over."

"Why didn't you just tell us?" Max asked.

"Because it will do your husband no good to find out that they weren't allowed to be together this side of heaven. It will only sink him into further depression… All evidence of her person was destroyed by the Moore's so there could be no claim to the property or money…except for this and her birth certificate."

"So why is this still here?" Max asked.

"Because the Moore's never knew it existed," he said with a smile. 

"Logan needs to know she was real…" she said simply.

"What will that do? Make him tell you he loves you? Why not say it first? Why not blow his mind and take the risks ahead of you?" the old man said. 

Max gazed at him for a moment, reading the volumes in his face. "How many couples have you helped?"

"I told you, you're the first Nimue I've met."

"Thank you… What's you're name?" Max inquired.

"Lysander, ma'am… Lysander Alexander. Some families stayed in this area… Mine wanted to be sure the story didn't get destroyed," he said with a soft smile. "Go find your Lysander."

Max smiled at him and went back to the garden. Logan was still on his knees in front of the statue. She sidled up beside him and reached out a hand to him. He ran his hands over his eyes before finally accepting her hand. "I have something to show you," she whispered. 

They walked handed in hand to the gravestone. "I realized as this trip continued that we weren't here because of a story or curiosity. We were here to figure out what's between us. You're my Lysander and I'm your Nimue. They were as real as we are, with huge obstacles between them… But they still loved each other, just like I love you. Do you love me Logan?" 

Max's confidence shocked Logan. She was speaking words they had avoided for so long and now she asked the question he was most scared of. She had just proclaimed her love for him but he still trembled while trying to say the words. "I…I do… I love you… but Max…"

She interrupted him mid thought, "Then the rest doesn't matter. We'll find away to make it work… Better to have loved and lost, right?"

"No… I can't… I don't know how… I can't go through it again. I can't love you so much that it hurts, only to lose you," he cried dropping to his knees clutching her waist. "I can't lose you."

"So what? Denying that you love me is going to make it better when that day comes? Don't you think it might hurt worse to have no memories to savor and keep you going?" she asked playing with his hair. She pulled his chin up towards her face, "If I get captured would it be better if I entered like Brin with no one or like Tinga with a great love? I'd rather have something to fight to get back to." Tears descended Logan's face. "Every minute we have together…really together is one more minute that they can't take away from me… every minute further establishes my freedom from them and what they want me to be… Will you fight for me? Will you fight to be with me?" Max asked the man clutching her so tight it was hard to take a deep breath. 

"Max…" he whispered at her belly. "I love you so. I'll love you always… Help me, please."

Max knelt beside him and showed him what the gravestone said. "You weren't kidding…She did exist. Why couldn't we find her?"

"Because she was the illegitimate daughter of the landowner next door…her mother was a slave Logan. We weren't looking in the right place. The Moore family destroyed all record of her so no one could lay claim to the land… They created the myth to prevent lose of property and face," she said quietly. 

"How did you find this?" Logan asked.

A smile crept over Max's face, "Lysander showed me."

"Oh really… Communicating with the dead now?"

"No the gardener…Lysander Alexander… They survived and so did the truth Logan… so will we."

Logan looked deeply into Max's eyes and kissed her. Unlike their earlier kisses, this was truly from Logan's heart. "Thank you…"

"I guess I don't really need to wear these any more," she said slipping the rings from her finger.

"No, I guess not…" he said talking them back into his hand. He stared down at them in his palm. He thought of his mother and the regret he had that she would never meet Max. He looked back up into her face and then decided to jump… 

TBC

A/N: Don't you just hate me!


	9. The future is bright.

"No, I guess not…" he said talking them back into his hand

Title: Love Loss end

Name: Joy 

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: PG-13

A/N: This is the end. I hope you enjoyed it.

A/N2: Haven't had many takers to read my not fanfic story. I really would like input. So once again- drop me a line.

"No, I guess not…" he said talking them back into his hand. He stared down at them in his palm. He thought of his mother and the regret he had that she would never meet Max. He looked back up into her face and then decided to jump… 

He put his mother's engagement ring back on Max's finger. "Will you marry me? I promise to run when you run, duck when you duck, and fight when you fight. I'm not wasting anymore time with you."

Max's eyes swelled with tears, "You're insane!" The words tumbled from her mouth with a huge smile that screamed yes.

"May I take that as a yes?" Logan asked in true Cale fashion.

"Yes… though I have no idea how this will work…but yes," she said kissing Logan hard. 

He broke their embrace and then held Max to his chest. "Do you want a big white wedding or would you mind going back as Max Cale rather then Max Taylor?"

"Not at all... White is nice but Mrs. Cale is better."

"Then we better get to work on getting Bling and Cindy here along with our real personal information so they won't kill us and the wedding will actually be legal," he said cupping her face. 

"I am so going to hear about this from Original Cindy!" Max said as she laid her forehead against Logan's.

"I'm surprised she even let you come without reading me the riot act," he said kissing her cheek. 

"She is very protective of me…"

"So am I…" Logan said as he kissed her lips. 

"Yeah… you are… Like last night in bed," she muttered hugging him close. "I could never hate you."

"I just couldn't take the risk… I couldn't lose you over sex, especially since that's all it felt like. I want to make love to you."

Max settled herself on Logan's lap, "Well I seem to recall a large bed back at our hotel that has been sorely underused for that purpose… Why don't we go back there and put it to use in every way possible."

Logan shut his eyes and tried to breathe. He swallowed, saying, "You always know how to get my engine revving, don't you?"

"That…" she said between kisses, "is part… of why… I'm… here."

"Let's go back to the hotel before I take you on the ground!!!"

"Good idea," she whispered in his ear.

***********************************************************************

"Original Cindy here…"

"It's me…"

"How's the trip? You two getting busy?" 

"Maybe later…can you take off work for a day or two?" Max asked quickly.

"Sure…Why?"

"I need you to come to North Carolina with Bling."

"Why? What the hell has that guy gotten you mixed up in now?" Cindy spewed.

"Chill… I need a maid of honor and my license to get hitched. I thought you would be best for getting both," Max said slyly.

"You be pulling my leg!"

"Not even a little… Logan has the two of you booked on a flight later tonight. Pack and go to Logan's. Bling will meet you there and drive you both to the airport."

Cindy stared at the phone for a minute, "You're going to be MRS Rich… What the hell happened down there?"

"I'll tell you all about it when you get here…I promise. Love you, boo."

"You too… See ya soon." They hung up and Cindy just sat for a minute trying to decide if she was dreaming or not. She pinched her self hard and then got up to pack.

**********************************************************************

Logan and Max stood before a local Justice of the peace with Bling on one side and Cindy on the other. Lysander was also invited and happily took pictures. Max wore a sundress Logan had loved that they bought together while he wore dress pants and a button up shirt. The casual wedding was nothing like Logan's first wedding striking him as slightly funny while listening to the judge. Max gave Logan a poke in the side for the smirk on his face, which only served to make Logan laugh out loud. 

"I'm sorry…this is a solemn occasion…haha… hysterical laughter I promise…" Logan apologized while laughing. Bling and Cindy couldn't help but giggle at the sight… Mister serious loses it at his own wedding. Max was upset until she saw Lysander chuckling himself. Once everyone had the giggles out of their system the judge picked up where he left off. 

"Logan, do you take Max to be your lawfully wedded wife?" 

"I do…I'm sorry judge…It's just I can't believe I got her here or the fact that she is standing there all prime and proper. Is there any way this can be less serious?" Logan responded. Max started laughing at her own straight posture and rigid manner. 

"Son, this is serious business…" the judge responded watching Logan attempting not to double over. "Max, do you take Logan… this laughing idiot, to be your lawfully wedded husband?" he said with eyebrow raised. 

"Yes… laughing idiot and all," she said with a smile. 

"Fine then the two of you can figure out the rest, laugh to your hearts content, and I'll sign the marriage certificate, OK?" the judge said.

"Is that it?" Logan objected.

"Oh, kiss her you moron!" the judge said shaking his head. 

Cindy and Bling erupted into fits of laughter as the couple kissed to their hearts content. "Congratulations!" they yelled in unison. Everyone hugged and talked rapidly. Lysander took the last few pictures, tipped his hat and exited the office; his work was done. 

The couple ventured back to the Moore estate to have their picture taken where Logan purposed and by the statue. Bling and Cindy listened with great interest to the story that was laid before them as they traveled the grounds. 

They tried to take pictures at both locations but at the statue the lighting always seemed to be off. Yet the pictures by the grave were excellent. When the wedding pictures were developed, Max and Logan noticed that sunshine seemed to shine brightly on the gravestone. Lysander and Nimue had truly lived and loved, and in their wedding pictures continued on. They felt in some way they honored the long dead couple by being pictured on the property. Yet they felt certain it was no accident that their pictures at where the truth lay were excellent and the ones at the myth were awful. Maybe Lysander and Nimue were closer then they hoped.


End file.
